Thank you, Margaret Hennes.
If she hadn't persuaded us to visit the garden at WynEden on the Library's annual house and garden tour, we would have skipped it. Instead, it turned out to the most memorable part of the day.
What a magical property! There's a picturesque pond with water lilies and quaint bridges; a vast slope completely covered by hostas spills down from the house to the lake; and paths take you past other tucked-away gardens as they meander through the hills full of mountain laurels, azaleas, and rhododendrons. A high mesh deer fence surrounds the property.
In one bed near the lake I saw a variety of spiderwort I've never seen before, with beautiful white and pale purple flowers. And I had never seen pitcher plants growing anywhere except at the carnivorous plant room at Longwood Gardens, but there they were, thriving right at the lake's edge.
We heard the owner, Wayne Guymon, telling some other guests that maintaining the ten-acre property is a full-time job, although he views it as a pleasure and a privilege rather than a job.
Our West Marlborough neighbor Sunny McGeorge was stationed by the lake doing a painting of some flowers. She said she had visited WynEden before with her Garden Club and jumped at the chance to be one of the volunteer artists on the tour.
Other highlights on the tour were the gorgeous infinity pool at the Gahagans' on Smith Bridge Road; the recycled architectural details, the flower arrangements and the quirky artwork at Cloud Hill on Nine Gates Road; and the "three blind mice" perched on a tall clock at Luedekes' old schoolhouse on Fairville Road.
The parkers on the tour put in yeoman's duty this year, as several of the houses had limited parking areas and guests had to park on the shoulder of the road instead of in someone's field. The parkers were also very proactive about asking if we knew the way to the next house on the tour.
Just driving along the back roads of southern Chester County and northern New Castle County on our way between the houses was a treat. And unexpectedly we also saw some amazing sports cars out and about: two Ferraris, a Lamborghini and a Delorean.
Once again the well-organized ladies of the library's Special Events Committee did a terrific job coordinating all the details of the tour, from the well-drawn map, to the fresh flower arrangements, to the library program exhibits at each house. And I liked the new method of gaining admission: you turned in your tickets at the first house you visited and were issued a wristband. So much easier than the old system of tying a paper ticket onto your person with a piece of string.
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